Control channel for UE power saving

ABSTRACT

A downlink control information (DCI), such as a blanking DCI (bDCI) message may be transmitted by a base station (e.g., eNB) and received by a mobile device (e.g., UE). The bDCI may indicate that the eNB will not transmit a subsequent DCI to the UE for a duration of time. The UE may be in continuous reception mode or connected discontinuous reception (C-DRX) mode. The UE may therefore determine to enter a sleep state or take other action. The bDCI may specify an explicit blanking duration, or an index indicating a blanking duration from a lookup table, and/or the blanking duration (and/or a blanking duration offset value) may be determined in advance, e.g., semi-statically. When the UE is in C-DRX mode, the UE may be configured such that either the sleep/wake period of the C-DRX mode or the blanking period of the bDCI may take precedence over the other.

PRIORITY INFORMATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/834,908 filed Mar. 30, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/923,078 filed Mar. 16, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No.10,609,700, which claims priority to U.S. provisional application Ser.No. 62/520,347 titled “Control Channel for UE Power Saving,” filed Jun.15, 2017, and U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 62/567,155 titled“Control Channel for UE Power Saving,” filed Oct. 2, 2017, which are allhereby incorporated by reference in their entirety as though fully andcompletely set forth herein.

The claims in the instant application are different than those of theparent application or other related applications. The Applicanttherefore rescinds any disclaimer of claim scope made in the parentapplication or any predecessor application in relation to the instantapplication. The Examiner is therefore advised that any such previousdisclaimer and the cited references that it was made to avoid, may needto be revisited. Further, any disclaimer made in the instant applicationshould not be read into or against the parent application or otherrelated applications.

FIELD

The present application relates to wireless communication devices, andmore particularly to apparatuses, systems, and methods for providing animproved control channel for saving power for wireless communicationsdevices.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Wireless communication systems are rapidly growing in usage. In recentyears, wireless devices such as smart phones and tablet computers havebecome increasingly sophisticated. In addition to supporting telephonecalls, many mobile devices now provide access to the internet, email,text messaging, and navigation using the global positioning system(GPS), and are capable of operating sophisticated applications thatutilize these functionalities.

Long Term Evolution (LTE) has become the technology of choice for themajority of wireless network operators worldwide, providing mobilebroadband data and high-speed Internet access to their subscriber base.LTE defines a number of downlink (DL) physical channels, categorized astransport or control channels, to carry information blocks received fromthe MAC and higher layers. LTE also defines three physical layerchannels for the uplink (UL).

The Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) is a DL transport channel,and is the main data-bearing channel allocated to users on a dynamic andopportunistic basis. The PDSCH carries data in Transport Blocks (TB)corresponding to a media access control protocol data unit (MAC PDU),passed from the MAC layer to the physical (PHY) layer once perTransmission Time Interval (TTI). The PDSCH is also used to transmitbroadcast information such as System Information Blocks (SIB) and pagingmessages.

The Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) is a DL control channelthat carries the resource assignment for UEs that are contained in aDownlink Control Information or Indicator (DCI) message. Multiple PDCCHscan be transmitted in the same subframe using Control Channel Elements(CCE), each of which includes nine sets of four resource elements knownas Resource Element Groups (REG) or RE quadruplets. The PDCCH employsquadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) modulation, with four QPSK symbolsmapped to each REG. Furthermore, 1, 2, 4, or 8 CCEs can be used for aUE, depending on channel conditions, to ensure sufficient robustness.

The Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) is a UL channel shared by alldevices (user equipment, UE) in a radio cell to transmit user data tothe network. The scheduling for all UEs is under control of the LTE basestation (enhanced Node B, or eNB). The eNB uses the uplink schedulinggrant (DCI format 0) to inform the UE about resource block (RB)assignment, and the modulation and coding scheme to be used. PUSCHtypically supports QPSK and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM). Inaddition to user data, the PUSCH also carries any control informationnecessary to decode the information, such as transport format indicatorsand multiple-in multiple-out (MIMO) parameters. Control data ismultiplexed with information data prior to digital Fourier transform(DFT) spreading.

The Physical Control Format Indicator Channel (PCFICH) is a DL controlchannel that carries the Control Format Indicator (CFI) which includesthe number of orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbolsused for control channel transmission in each subframe (typically 1, 2,or 3). The 32-bit long CFI is mapped to 16 Resource Elements in thefirst OFDM symbol of each downlink frame using QPSK modulation.

Therefore, as indicated above, during data communication over LTE, theDL uses the physical channel PDSCH, while in UL it uses the UL channelPUSCH. As also mentioned above, these two channels convey the transportblocks of data in addition to some MAC control and system information.To support the transmission of DL and UL transport channels, DownlinkShared Channel (DLSCH) and Uplink Shared Channel (UL-SCH) controlsignaling is required. This control information is sent in PDCCH and itcontains DL resource assignment and UL grant information. PDCCH is sentin the beginning of every subframe in the first OFDM symbols. Dependingon the level of robustness and the PDCCH system capacity (numbers ofusers to be simultaneously served in a TTI) the NW needs to achieve,PDCCH will be transmitted in either the first 1, 2, 3, or 4 OFDM symbolsof a subframe. The number of OFDM symbols used in PDCCH is signaled inPCFICH.

In current LTE/LTE-advanced, the UE monitors PDCCH from time-to-time andmay perform blind decoding regardless of whether a DCI is present. Asignificant amount of power may be consumed in “PDCCH-only” state, e.g.,after performing blind decoding when no DCI is found. Noticeable powersaving can be attained if “PDCCH-only” decoding can be avoided. Althoughproprietary solutions have been developed to try to avoid this powerwaste, these introduce a cost of complexity and performance.Furthermore, methods previously proposed have focused on a UE operatingin idle mode, while little attention has been given to connected modes,which consume more power than idle mode. It is therefore desirable tointroduce new mechanism to facilitate UE power saving in connectedmodes.

SUMMARY

Embodiments described herein relate to a User Equipment (UE) deviceand/or a base station, and associated method for an improved controlchannel for UE power saving during wireless communications, e.g. duringLong Term Evolution (LTE) communications and transmissions.

A downlink control information (DCI), such as a blanking DCI (bDCI)message may be transmitted by a base station (e.g., eNB) and received bya mobile device (e.g., UE). The bDCI may indicate that the eNB will nottransmit DL data to the UE for a duration of time, while the UE is incontinuous reception mode or connected discontinuous reception (C-DRX)mode. The UE may therefore determine to enter a sleep state or takeother action. The bDCI may specify an explicit blanking duration, or anindex indicating a blanking duration from a lookup table, and/or theblanking duration (and/or a blanking duration offset value) may bedetermined in advance, e.g., semi-statically. When the UE is in C-DRXmode, the UE may be configured such that either the sleep/wake period ofthe C-DRX mode or the blanking period of the bDCI may take precedenceover the other.

A method is disclosed for controlling downlink monitoring. According tothe disclosed method, a user equipment device (UE) may receive, from abase station, on a downlink channel, a downlink control messageindicating that the base station will not transmit data to the UE for aduration of time. The UE may discontinue monitoring of the downlinkchannel for the duration of time, wherein the discontinuing monitoringis in response to receiving the downlink control message.

The downlink control message may comprise a field explicitly indicatingthe duration of time. For example, the field may explicitly indicate anumber of subframes for which the duration of time will last.Alternatively, the downlink control message may comprise an indexidentifying a value in a predetermined set of possible durations oftime. Or, the downlink control message may indicate the start of theduration of time, wherein the length of the duration of time is knownprior to receiving the downlink control message.

The UE may enter a sleep state for at least a portion of the duration oftime, in response to receiving the downlink control message.

The UE may resume monitoring of the downlink channel in response toexpiration of the duration of time.

At the time the downlink control message is received, the UE may beoperating according to a continuous reception mode. Alternatively, theUE may be operating according to a C-DRX mode. In some scenarios, the UEmay resume monitoring of the downlink channel at the start of the firstC-DRX on cycle following the start of the duration of time.Alternatively, the duration of time may extend beyond the start of aC-DRX on cycle.

The downlink control message may be received in physical resourcesdedicated to a plurality of UEs comprising the UE, wherein the downlinkcontrol message indicates that the base station will not transmit datato any of the UEs in the plurality of UEs for the duration of time.

The downlink channel may be a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH),and the downlink control message may be comprised in a Downlink ControlInformation (DCI) message. Specifically, the downlink control messagemay be comprised in a Bandwidth Part (BWP) selection field of the DCImessage. The downlink control message may further indicate a BWPconfiguration to be used by the UE upon resuming monitoring of thedownlink channel. A current BWP period may be paused during the durationof time, such that slots occurring during the duration of time are notcounted in a current BWP period.

An apparatus is disclosed, comprising a memory storing programinstructions, and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory. Theprocessor may be configured to execute the program instructions to causethe apparatus to perform steps according to the method described above.

A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium is disclosed, storingsoftware instructions that are executable by a UE to cause the UE toperform steps according to the method described above.

This Summary is intended to provide a brief overview of some of thesubject matter described in this document. Accordingly, it will beappreciated that the above-described features are merely examples andshould not be construed to narrow the scope or spirit of the subjectmatter described herein in any way. Other features, aspects, andadvantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparentfrom the following Detailed Description, Figures, and Claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary (and simplified) wireless communicationsystem according to one set of embodiments;

FIG. 2 illustrates a base station in communication with a wireless userequipment (UE) device according to one set of embodiments;

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a UE, according to oneset of embodiments;

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a base stationaccording to one set of embodiments; and

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating an example method for controllingdownlink monitoring, according to some embodiments.

While features described herein are susceptible to various modificationsand alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way ofexample in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should beunderstood, however, that the drawings and detailed description theretoare not intended to be limiting to the particular form disclosed, but onthe contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalentsand alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the subjectmatter as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS Acronyms

Various acronyms are used throughout the present application.Definitions of the most prominently used acronyms that may appearthroughout the present application are provided below:

bDCI: Blanking Dowling Control Information

BS: Base Station

CCE: Control Channel Elements

C-DRX: Connected Discontinuous Reception

CFI: Control format Indicator

DCI: Downlink Control Information

DL: Downlink (from BS to UE)

DLSCH: Downlink Shared Channel

DRX: Discontinuous Reception

GPS: Global Positioning System

GSM: Global System for Mobile Communication

LTE: Long Term Evolution

MAC: Media Access Control (layer)

MIMO: Multiple-In Multiple-Out

NW: Network

OFDM: Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing

PCFICH: Physical Control Format Indicator Channel

PDCCH: Physical Downlink Control Channel

PDSCH: Physical Downlink Shared Channel

PDU: Protocol Data Unit

PUSCH: Physical Uplink Shared Channel

PHY: Physical (Layer)

QPSK: Quadrature Phase-Shift Keying

REG: Resource Element Group

RRC: Radio Resource Control

RX: Reception

TTI: Transmission Time Interval

TX: Transmission

UE: User Equipment

UL: Uplink (from UE to BS)

ULSCH: Uplink Shared Channel

UMTS: Universal Mobile Telecommunication System

Terms

The following is a glossary of terms that may appear in the presentapplication:

Memory Medium—Any of various types of memory devices or storage devices.The term “memory medium” is intended to include an installation medium,e.g., a CD-ROM, floppy disks 104, or tape device; a computer systemmemory or random access memory such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM,Rambus RAM, etc.; a non-transitory memory such as a Flash, magneticmedia, e.g., a hard drive, or optical storage; registers, or othersimilar types of memory elements, etc. The memory medium may includeother types of memory as well or combinations thereof. In addition, thememory medium may be located in a first computer system in which theprograms are executed, or may be located in a second different computersystem which connects to the first computer system over a network, suchas the Internet. In the latter instance, the second computer system mayprovide program instructions to the first computer system for execution.The term “memory medium” may include two or more memory mediums whichmay reside in different locations, e.g., in different computer systemsthat are connected over a network.

Carrier Medium—a memory medium as described above, as well as a physicaltransmission medium, such as a bus, network, and/or other physicaltransmission medium that conveys signals such as electrical,electromagnetic, or digital signals.

Computer System (or Computer)—any of various types of computing orprocessing systems, including a personal computer system (PC), mainframecomputer system, workstation, network appliance, Internet appliance,personal digital assistant (PDA), television system, grid computingsystem, or other device or combinations of devices. In general, the term“computer system” can be broadly defined to encompass any device (orcombination of devices) having at least one processor that executesinstructions from a memory medium.

User Equipment (UE) (or “UE Device”)—any of various types of computersystems devices which are mobile or portable and which performs wirelesscommunications. Examples of UE devices include mobile telephones orsmart phones (e.g., iPhone™, Android™-based phones), portable gamingdevices (e.g., Nintendo DS™, PlayStation Portable™, Gameboy Advance™),laptops, wearable devices (e.g. smart watch, smart glasses), PDAs,portable Internet devices, music players, data storage devices, or otherhandheld devices, etc. In general, the term “UE” or “UE device” can bebroadly defined to encompass any electronic, computing, and/ortelecommunications device (or combination of devices) which is easilytransported by a user and capable of wireless communication.

Base Station (BS)—The term “Base Station” has the full breadth of itsordinary meaning, and at least includes a wireless communication stationinstalled at a fixed location and used to communicate as part of awireless telephone system or radio system.

Processing Element—refers to various elements or combinations ofelements that are capable of performing a function in a device, e.g. ina user equipment device or in a cellular network device. Processingelements may include, for example: processors and associated memory,portions or circuits of individual processor cores, entire processorcores, processor arrays, circuits such as an ASIC (Application SpecificIntegrated Circuit), programmable hardware elements such as a fieldprogrammable gate array (FPGA), as well any of various combinations ofthe above.

Automatically—refers to an action or operation performed by a computersystem (e.g., software executed by the computer system) or device (e.g.,circuitry, programmable hardware elements, ASICs, etc.), without userinput directly specifying or performing the action or operation. Thusthe term “automatically” is in contrast to an operation being manuallyperformed or specified by the user, where the user provides input todirectly perform the operation. An automatic procedure may be initiatedby input provided by the user, but the subsequent actions that areperformed “automatically” are not specified by the user, i.e., are notperformed “manually”, where the user specifies each action to perform.For example, a user filling out an electronic form by selecting eachfield and providing input specifying information (e.g., by typinginformation, selecting check boxes, radio selections, etc.) is fillingout the form manually, even though the computer system must update theform in response to the user actions. The form may be automaticallyfilled out by the computer system where the computer system (e.g.,software executing on the computer system) analyzes the fields of theform and fills in the form without any user input specifying the answersto the fields. As indicated above, the user may invoke the automaticfilling of the form, but is not involved in the actual filling of theform (e.g., the user is not manually specifying answers to fields butrather they are being automatically completed). The presentspecification provides various examples of operations beingautomatically performed in response to actions the user has taken.

DCI—refers to downlink control information. There are various DCIformats used in LTE in PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel). TheDCI format is a predefined format in which the downlink controlinformation is packed/formed and transmitted in PDCCH. Throughout thepresent disclosure, any method or procedure referring to DCI may applyto a DCI as presently defined by 3GPP, or as may be adapted by 3GPP infuture versions of any applicable standard; and may also be extended toapply to other applicable control messages (e.g., messages serving asame or similar function), even if such other applicable controlmessages do not strictly comply with an established format for a DCImessage as defined by 3GPP. In particular, the present disclosureproposes improvements over previously defined DCI formats; such improvedcontrol messages are expressly intended to fall within the scope of theterm “DCI” as used herein.

FIGS. 1 and 2 —Communication System

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary (and simplified) wireless communicationsystem. It is noted that the system of FIG. 1 is merely one example of apossible system, and embodiments may be implemented in any of varioussystems, as desired. As shown, the exemplary wireless communicationsystem includes a base station 102 which communicates over atransmission medium with one or more user devices 106A through 106N.Each of the user devices may be referred to herein as a “user equipment”(UE) or UE device. Thus, the user devices 106A-106N are referred to asUEs or UE devices. Furthermore, when referring to an individual UE ingeneral, user devices are also referenced herein as UE 106 or simply UE.

The base station 102 may be a base transceiver station (BTS) or cellsite, and may include hardware that enables wireless communication withthe UEs 106A through 106N. The base station 102 may also be equipped tocommunicate with a network 100 (e.g., a core network of a cellularservice provider, a telecommunication network such as a public switchedtelephone network (PSTN), and/or the Internet, among variouspossibilities). Thus, the base station 102 may facilitate communicationbetween the user devices and/or between the user devices and the network100. The communication area (or coverage area) of the base station maybe referred to as a “cell.” As also used herein, from the perspective ofUEs, a base station may sometimes be considered as representing thenetwork insofar as uplink and downlink communications of the UE areconcerned. Thus, a UE communicating with one or more base stations inthe network may also be interpreted as the UE communicating with thenetwork.

The base station 102 and the user devices may be configured tocommunicate over the transmission medium using any of various radioaccess technologies (RATs), also referred to as wireless communicationtechnologies, or telecommunication standards, such as GSM, UMTS (WCDMA),LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1×RTT, 1×EV-DO, HRPD,eHRPD), Wi-Fi, WiMAX etc. In some embodiments, the base station 102communicates with at least one UE using improved PCFICH decodingtechniques as disclosed herein.

UE 106 may be capable of communicating using multiple wirelesscommunication standards. For example, a UE 106 might be configured tocommunicate using either or both of a 3GPP cellular communicationstandard (such as LTE-A) or a 3GPP2 cellular communication standard(such as a cellular communication standard in the CDMA2000 family ofcellular communication standards). In some embodiments, the UE 106 maybe configured to communicate with base station 102 according to improvedPCFICH decoding methods as described herein. Base station 102 and othersimilar base stations operating according to the same or a differentcellular communication standard may thus be provided as one or morenetworks of cells, which may provide continuous or nearly continuousoverlapping service to UE 106 and similar devices over a wide geographicarea via one or more cellular communication standards.

The UE 106 may also or alternatively be configured to communicate usingWLAN, Bluetooth, one or more global navigational satellite systems(GNSS, e.g., GPS or GLONASS), one and/or more mobile televisionbroadcasting standards (e.g., ATSC-M/H or DVB-H), etc. Othercombinations of wireless communication standards (including more thantwo wireless communication standards) are also possible.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary system in which user equipment 106(e.g., one of the devices 106A through 106N) is in communication withthe base station 102. The UE 106 may be a device with wireless networkconnectivity such as a mobile phone, a hand-held device, a wearabledevice, a computer or a tablet, or virtually any type of wirelessdevice. The UE 106 may include a processor that is configured to executeprogram instructions stored in memory. The UE 106 may perform any of themethod embodiments described herein by executing such storedinstructions. Alternatively, or in addition, the UE 106 may include aprogrammable hardware element such as an FPGA (field-programmable gatearray) that is configured to perform any of the method embodiments ofimproved decoding of PCFICH described herein, or any portion of any ofthe method embodiments of improved decoding of PCFICH described herein.The UE 106 may be configured to communicate using any of multiplewireless communication protocols. For example, the UE 106 may beconfigured to communicate using two or more of CDMA2000, LTE, LTE-A,WLAN, or GNSS. Other combinations of wireless communication standardsare also possible.

The UE 106 may include one or more antennas for communicating using oneor more wireless communication protocols. In some embodiments, the UE106 may share one or more parts of a receive chain and/or transmit chainbetween multiple wireless communication standards. The shared radio mayinclude a single antenna, or may include multiple antennas (e.g., forMIMO) for performing wireless communications. Alternatively, the UE 106may include separate transmit and/or receive chains (e.g., includingseparate antennas and other radio components) for each wirelesscommunication protocol with which it is configured to communicate. Asanother alternative, the UE 106 may include one or more radios which areshared between multiple wireless communication protocols, and one ormore radios which are used exclusively by a single wirelesscommunication protocol. For example, the UE 106 may include a sharedradio for communicating using either of LTE or CDMA2000 1×RTT, andseparate radios for communicating using each of Wi-Fi and BLUETOOTH™.Other configurations are also possible.

FIG. 3 —Exemplary Block Diagram of a UE

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a UE 106. As shown, theUE 106 may include a system on chip (SOC) 300, which may includeportions for various purposes. For example, as shown, the SOC 300 mayinclude processor(s) 302 which may execute program instructions for theUE 106 and display circuitry 304 which may perform graphics processingand provide display signals to the display 360. The processor(s) 302 mayalso be coupled to memory management unit (MMU) 340, which may beconfigured to receive addresses from the processor(s) 302 and translatethose addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory 306, read onlymemory (ROM) 350, NAND flash memory 310) and/or to other circuits ordevices, such as the display circuitry 304, wireless communicationcircuitry 330, connector interface (I/F) 320, and/or display 360. TheMMU 340 may be configured to perform memory protection and page tabletranslation or set up. In some embodiments, the MMU 340 may be includedas a portion of the processor(s) 302.

As shown, the SOC 300 may be coupled to various other circuits of the UE106. For example, the UE 106 may include various types of memory (e.g.,including NAND flash 310), a connector I/F 320 (e.g., for coupling tothe computer system), the display 360, and wireless communicationcircuitry 330 (e.g., for LTE, LTE-A, CDMA2000, BLUETOOTH™, Wi-Fi, GPS,etc.). The UE device 106 may include at least one antenna 335, andpossibly multiple antennas 335, for performing wireless communicationwith base stations and/or other devices. For example, the UE device 106may use antenna(s) 335 to perform the wireless communication. As notedabove, the UE may be configured to communicate wirelessly using multiplewireless communication standards in some embodiments.

As described further subsequently herein, the UE 106 (and base station102) may include hardware and software components for implementing amethod for implementing an improved control channel for power savingsduring wireless communications. The processor 302 of the UE device 106may be configured to implement part or all of the methods forimplementing the improved control channel, as described herein, e.g., byexecuting program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., anon-transitory computer-readable memory medium). In other embodiments,processor 302 may be configured as a programmable hardware element, suchas an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (ApplicationSpecific Integrated Circuit). Furthermore, processor 302 may be coupledto and/or may interoperate with other components, such as wirelesscommunication circuitry 330, as shown in FIG. 3 , to implement theimproved control channel according to various embodiments disclosedherein.

In some embodiments, wireless communication circuitry 330 may includeone or more additional processor(s) or processor elements, and a memorystoring software instructions for execution by the additionalprocessor(s). The software instructions, when executed, may cause the UE106 to implement the improved control channel according to variousembodiments disclosed herein.

FIG. 4 —Exemplary Block Diagram of a Base Station

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a base station 102. Itis noted that the base station of FIG. 4 is merely one example of apossible base station. As shown, the base station 102 may includeprocessor(s) 404 which may execute program instructions for the basestation 102. The processor(s) 102 may also be coupled to memorymanagement unit (MMU) 440, which may be configured to receive addressesfrom the processor(s) 102 and translate those addresses to locations inmemory (e.g., memory 460 and read only memory (ROM) 450) or to othercircuits or devices.

The base station 102 may include at least one network port 470. Thenetwork port 470 may be configured to couple to a telephone network andprovide a plurality of devices, such as UE devices 106, access to thetelephone network as described above in FIGS. 1 and 2 . The network port470 (or an additional network port) may also or alternatively beconfigured to couple to a cellular network, e.g., a core network of acellular service provider. The core network may provide mobility relatedservices and/or other services to a plurality of devices, such as UEdevices 106. In some cases, the network port 470 may couple to atelephone network via the core network, and/or the core network mayprovide a telephone network (e.g., among other UE devices serviced bythe cellular service provider). The core network may provide mobilityrelated services and/or other services to a plurality of devices, suchas UE devices 106. In some cases, the network port 470 may couple to atelephone network via the core network, and/or the core network mayprovide a telephone network (e.g., among other UE devices serviced bythe cellular service provider).

The base station 102 may include at least one antenna 434, and possiblymultiple antennas 434. The antenna(s) 434 may be configured to operateas a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicatewith UE devices 106 via radio 430. The antenna 434 communicates with theradio 430 via communication chain 432. Communication chain 432 may be areceive chain, a transmit chain or both. The radio 430 may be configuredto communicate via various wireless telecommunication standards,including, but not limited to, LTE, LTE-A WCDMA, CDMA2000, etc. Theprocessor 404 of the base station 102 may be configured to implementpart or all of the methods described herein for improved decoding ofPCFICH, e.g., by executing program instructions stored on a memorymedium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium).Alternatively, the processor 404 may be configured as a programmablehardware element, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or asan ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or a combinationthereof. Overall, the various components (460, 450, 440, 404, 430, 432,470 and 434) of BS 102 may interoperate to implement at least part orall of the methods described herein for improved decoding of PCFICH.

Improved Control Channel for Continuous Reception

A UE, such as the UE 106, while in continuous reception mode (e.g., asdefined by LTE-A or other applicable standards promulgated by 3GPP orother standards bodies), may receive from a base station (e.g., an eNB),such as the base station 102, a compact DCI, e.g., a blanking DCI(bDCI), which may indicate a duration of time during which the UE mayforego monitoring a control channel (e.g., the PDCCH). Thus, the UE willnot expect to receive further DCIs or perform communications associatedwith a DCI during this blanking duration. For example, if the UE DLbuffer is empty and the UE is in continuous reception mode, or isotherwise expected to continue monitoring the control channel, then theeNB may transmit to the UE a bDCI indicating that the eNB will nottransmit a subsequent DCI or associated DL data to the UE for a certainduration. Specifically, the indicated blanking duration may be a longertime than the UE would otherwise expect to go without receiving atransmission from the eNB. For example, the blanking period may extendover a plurality of subframes. This may allow the UE to conserve powerby temporarily relieving it of the obligation to monitor the controlchannel. Specifically, in response to receiving the bDCI, the UE mayforego monitoring the control channel during a period of time indicatedas the blanking duration. The UE may optionally take other action inresponse to receiving the bDCI. For example, the UE may enter a sleepstate for some or all of the blanking period, after which period the UEmay wake up to continue monitoring the control channel. In otherscenarios, the UE may take other action, or remain in another state,during the blanking period. For example, in some scenarios, the UE mayreceive communications, e.g., system information messages, during theblanking period, that are not related to DCI messages and are notcommunicated on the PDCCH.

In some scenarios, the blanking duration may be explicitly specified bythe bDCI. For example, the bDCI may specify the blanking duration to beK subframes. In response, after receiving the bDCI at subframe n, the UEmay determine that the blanking period will begin at subframe n+1, andend at subframe n+K+1. Alternatively, after receiving the bDCI atsubframe n, the UE may determine that the blanking period will begin atsubframe n+n0+1, and end at subframe n+n0+K+1, where n0 is an offsetvalue known to the UE. For example, n0 may be semi-staticallyconfigured; e.g., communicated infrequently from the eNB.

In some scenarios, a pre-configured blanking duration may be sent to UEsemantically, e.g., {K1, K2, . . . , KN}. In the bDCI, an index may besignaled, so that the UE knows the blanking duration via the indexing.For example, if the bDCI includes index i, then the UE may determinethat the blanking duration is Ki. Thus, if the UE receives the bDCI atsubframe n, then the UE may determine that the blanking period willbegin at subframe n+1, and end at subframe n+Ki+1. As in the precedingexample, the UE may alternatively receive the bDCI at subframe n, anddetermine that the blanking duration will begin at subframe n+n0+1, andend at subframe n+Ki+n0+1, where n0 is an offset value, e.g.,semi-statically configured. Utilizing an index to communicate theblanking duration may allow the blanking duration to be communicatedwith a smaller bit field in the bDCI. However, this may come at a costin flexibility, as, in some scenarios, the set of indexed values may notinclude all possible blanking duration values. A set of index values(e.g., {K1, K2, . . . , KN}), or some subset thereof, may be sent to theUE semi-statically or at a specified time, such as upon connection tothe network.

In some scenarios, the bDCI may not include an indication of a blankingduration. Instead, the blanking duration may be pre-configured, e.g.,semi-statically. For example, after receiving bDCI at subframe n, the UEmay determine that the blanking period will begin at subframe n+1, andend at subframe n+K0+1. In some scenarios, the blanking duration K0 maybe a value determined based on another system configuration parameter(e.g., transmission mode) via a look-up table. This variation may allowan even smaller bDCI (e.g., a one-bit blanking instruction) than theindexing variation. However, the blanking duration would be (at leastsemi-statically) fixed.

In some scenarios, the UE may terminate the blanking period before theexpiration of the blanking duration indicated by the bDCI. For example,the UE may prematurely terminate the blanking period by transmitting anUL message to the base station. Specifically, in some scenarios, such anUL message may indicate to the base station that the UE is no longertaking advantage of the blanking period, e.g., by remaining in a sleepstate, and the base station may therefore resume transmitting DCIsand/or other communications to the UE. In other scenarios, the UE maytransmit at least certain UL messages without terminating the blankingperiod.

Improved Control Channel for C-DRX

The UE may also receive a bDCI while configured in C-DRX mode (e.g., asdefined by LTE-A or other applicable standards promulgated by 3GPP orother standards bodies), which may utilize parameters such asonDuration, inactivityTimer, etc.

For example, in response to determining that there is no DCI to betransmitted for the UE during the remainder of the time defined by aparameter such as onDuration or inactivityTimer, the eNB may send a bDCIto the UE. The bDCI may be configured to communicate a blanking durationaccording to an explicit indication, an index value, and/or apredetermined offset, e.g., according to any of the preceding examples.For example, a predetermined offset may be derived from C-DRXconfiguration parameters, e.g., via table look up.

In some scenarios, the bDCI may not signal a blanking duration, and theUE may determine that the blanking period will end at the start of thenext onDuration.

Various options may be selected to reconcile the blanking duration withthe sleep periods defined by the C-DRX mode. This may be especiallyrelevant in (but not limited to) scenarios where the UE enters a sleepstate for the entire blanking period. For example, if the blankingduration indicated by a bDCI is specified such that it would extendbeyond the start of the next onDuration, or such that it would extend toa time within M subframes of the next onDuration, then the UE maydetermine that the blanking period will end at the start of the nextonDuration, effectively causing the sleep/wake periods of the C-DRX modeto take precedence over the blanking duration specified by the bDCI.Alternatively, in such a scenario, the UE may determine that theblanking period will continue throughout the specified blankingduration, and end after the specified blanking duration ends,effectively causing the blanking duration specified by the bDCI to takeprecedence over the sleep/wake periods of the C-DRX mode. The value Mmay be either semi-statically configured or fixed.

As noted above, in some scenarios, the UE may also terminate theblanking period prior to expiration of the blanking duration indicatedby a bDCI by other means, such as by transmitting an UL message.

bDCI Monitoring

In some scenarios, bDCI may be transmitted periodically, e.g., on asemi-statically configured time-frequency domain pattern, which mayinclude at least one of the following: Periodicity T, Time-domain offsetT_(offset), and/or Frequency hopping pattern. The UE may be expected toreceive bDCI only at the configured frequency and time of bDCImonitoring. The periodicity may be adapted to a UE traffic pattern(e.g., UE-specific) and/or eNB load. In such scenarios, the UE may notmonitor bDCI every subframe (e.g., 10 ms, 20 ms, etc.), as such frequentmonitoring may be power costly. Thus, to save power, the periodicity maybe configured such that the UE is expected to receive bDCI lessfrequently that every subframe. In some scenarios, the bDCI periodicitymay be more frequent than the C-DRX periodicity.

In some scenarios, the bDCI may be transmitted via MAC control element(CE).

In some scenarios, the bDCI may be sent to each UE separately in aunicast way. Alternatively, the bDCI may be sent in the physicalresources that are dedicated to a group of UEs. If the bDCI is sent inthe physical resources dedicated to a group of UEs (“group bDCIindication”), the eNB may group the UEs, e.g., based on latencyrequirements, pending packet size, traffic types, and/or other criteria.The eNB may then send bDCI to corresponding groups with the periodicitydefined accordingly. This may further reduce the resource usage forsupporting bDCI while meeting the service requirements for differenttraffic types.

In some scenarios, the bDCI may be either a new DCI format or a part ofanother DCI format, and may be monitored during regular DCI monitoring.In such scenarios, whenever bDCI is detected, the UE may utilize theblanking period specified by the bDCI, e.g., by responding in any of themanners outlined above.

As one example, the bDCI may be a part of a scheduling DCI having abandwidth part (BWP) selection field. A BWP is an identified set offrequency and time resources. For example, a BWP may be identified as acontiguous set of frequency resources with an associated timeperiodicity. A UE can be configured with multiple BWPs via RRC, and atone point of time a subset of BWPs may be active. The eNB may expect theUE to monitor active BWP(s). The active BWP(s) may be changed explicitlyvia DCI. For example, a scheduling DCI may include a bit field (e.g.,2-3 bits) for selecting BWP. One example use case for changing theactive BWP is to allow a UE to monitor a BWP with small bandwidth andlong periodicity when there is light or no traffic, but to cause the UEto switch to another BWP with larger bandwidth and/or shorterperiodicity when heavier traffic occurs.

In some scenarios, one or more values of a BWP selection bit field of ascheduling DCI may be reserved as a bDCI flag. For example, when any ofthese one or more bDCI values is indicated by the BWP selection bitfield, the UE may interpret the DCI as a bDCI, e.g., with apreconfigured blanking duration, as discussed above.

In some scenarios, the BWP selection may remain unchanged when such abDCI value is detected within the BWP selection bit field, such that,following expiration of the blanking period, the UE may resumemonitoring the previously configured active BWP. For example, the BWPselection bit field may have possible values as defined in Table 1. Inthe example of Table 1, the BWP selection bit field is illustrated as a2-bit field, although other field lengths and/or value assignments are,of course, envisioned. BWP configuration settings for possible values ofthe BWP selection bit field may be provided in advance, e.g.,semi-statically through RRC signaling. As illustrated, if the BWPselection bit field has a value of “00”, then the BWP may be configuredwith a BWP configuration index of 0 (specifying a predefined frequencyset) and a BWP periodicity of 2 (specifying that the UE will monitor thespecified frequency set every second slot; i.e., once per subframe).Similarly, a BWP selection bit field having a value of “01” may indicatea BWP configuration index of 4 (specifying a distinct predeterminedfrequency set) and a BWP periodicity of 8 (specifying that the UE willmonitor the specified frequency set every eighth slot). Similarly, a BWPselection bit field having a value of “10” may indicate a BWPconfiguration index of 8 (specifying a distinct predetermined frequencyset) and a BWP periodicity of 16 (specifying that the UE will monitorthe specified frequency set every sixteenth slot). By contrast, a BWPselection bit field having a value of “11” may cause the UE to treat theDCI as a bDCI. According to the present example, the BWP selection mayremain unchanged. Thus, as shown in the example of Table 1, the BWPconfiguration index and BWP periodicity may be unspecified or ignored.

TABLE 1 Bit-field (2 bits) ‘00’ ‘01’ ‘10’ ‘11’ BWP config index 0 4  8bDCI BWP periodicity (slot) 2 8 16 bDCI

In some scenarios, the UE may change BWP selection in response todetecting a bDCI value within the BWP selection field, such that,following expiration of the blanking period, the UE may monitor adifferent BWP than before receiving the bDCI. As a first example,following expiration of the blanking period, the UE may monitor adefault BWP configuration (e.g., having a small bandwidth). For example,the UE may be configured with a default BWP configuration, e.g., onstartup. Thus, as in the previous example (and as illustrated in Table1), the BWP configuration index and BWP periodicity may be unspecifiedor ignored when the bit field value is “11” (or any other bDCI value).

As a second example of changing BWP selection, following expiration ofthe blanking period, the UE may monitor a new specified BWPconfiguration. This example is illustrated in Table 2, wherein a BWP bitfield value of “11” may again cause the UE to treat the DCI as a bDCI,but wherein the BWP bit field value of “11” further indicates a new BWPconfiguration index of 16 and a default BWP periodicity of 16. As notedabove, the configuration settings of Table 2 may be provided in advance,e.g., semi-statically through RRC signaling.

TABLE 2 Bit-field (2 bits) ‘00’ ‘01’ ‘10’ ‘11’ BWP config index 0 4  816 BWP periodicity (slot) 2 8 16 16

In other scenarios (e.g., where the BWP selection bit field is more than2 bits), multiple values of the BWP selection bit field may serve asbDCI values, but may indicate different BWP configuration settings. Insome scenarios, at least one value of the BWP selection bit field mayindicate a new BWP configuration, as in the example of Table 2, while atleast one other value of the BWP selection bit field may indicate thatthe BWP selection should remain unchanged, as in the example of Table 1.

In any of the above scenarios, the BWP monitoring timeline may not beaffected by this BWP blanking, except that the UE may not monitor theBWP during the blanking period. Alternatively, in any of the abovescenarios, the BWP monitoring timeline may be affected by BWP blanking.For example, the UE may pause a periodicity count during the blankedperiod, such that the blanked slots are not counted in the currentperiod.

In response to receiving a BWP selection DCI containing a bDCI valuetogether with a valid DL/UL grant, the UE may begin a blanking periodduring the slot or subframe of the grant. Alternatively, the UE maybegin the blanking period during the slot or subframe following thegrant, or following an offset time (e.g., n0), as outlined above. Asanother alternative, in response to receiving a BWP selection DCIcontaining a bDCI value (regardless of whether a valid grant isreceived) the UE may begin a blanking period in the current time slot orsubframe (the slot in which the DCI is received). Alternatively, the UEmay begin a blanking period in the next time slot or subframe followingreceipt of the DCI, or following an offset time.

FIG. 5 —Flow Diagram

FIG. 5 shows a flow diagram illustrating a method for controllingdownlink monitoring. The operations of FIG. 5 may be performed by a UE,such as the UE 106.

At 502, the UE 106 may receive, on a downlink channel, a downlinkcontrol message (e.g., a bDCI) from a base station, the downlink controlmessage indicating that the base station will not transmit a subsequentdownlink control message, and/or communications associated with adownlink control message, to the UE 106 for a duration of time. In somescenarios, the duration of time may be constrained to be greater thanone subframe. In some scenarios, the UE 106 may receive the downlinkcontrol message while operating according to a continuous receptionmode. In other scenarios, the UE 106 may receive the downlink controlmessage while operating according to a C-DRX mode.

The downlink control message may be provided, e.g., according to any ofthe formats disclosed above. For example, the downlink control messagemay be included in a DCI message, e.g., where the downlink channel is aPDCCH. More specifically, in some scenarios, the downlink controlmessage may be included in a BWP selection field of the DCI message. Insuch scenarios, the downlink control message may further indicate a BWPconfiguration to be used by the UE 106 upon resuming monitoring of thedownlink channel. In some scenarios, a current BWP period may be pausedduring the duration of time, such that slots occurring during theduration of time are not counted in the current BWP period.

In other scenarios, the downlink control message may be received inphysical resources dedicated to a plurality of UEs, the pluralitycomprising the UE 106. The downlink control message may indicate thatthe base station will not transmit DCIs or associated data to any of theUEs in the plurality of UEs for the duration of time.

The downlink control message may indicate the duration of time in any ofa number of different ways. For example, the downlink control messagemay include a field explicitly indicating the duration of time.Specifically, the field may explicitly indicate a number of subframes(or other units of time) for which the duration of time will last. Asanother example, the downlink control message may include an indexidentifying a value in a predetermined set of possible durations oftime. In some scenarios, the UE 106 may, at optional step 504, receivethe set of possible durations of time (e.g., as a list, vector, ormatrix) at some point prior to receiving the downlink control message.For example, the UE may receive the set of possible durations of timefrom the base station during initial connection.

As another example, the downlink control message may indicate the startof the duration of time, but may not expressly indicate the length ofthe duration of time. For example, the length of the duration of timemay be known to the UE prior to receiving the downlink control message.In some scenarios, the UE 106 may, at optional step 506, receive anindication of the length of the duration of time at some point prior toreceiving the downlink control message, such as during initialconnection to the base station. Alternatively, the length of theduration of time may be determined based on other parameters. Forexample, if the UE is operating according to a C-DRX mode, then theduration of time may last until the start of the next C-DRX on cycle;e.g., until the start of the first C-DRX on cycle following the start ofthe duration of time, or the start of the of the first C-DRX on cyclefollowing reception of the downlink control message.

At 508, the UE 106 may discontinue monitoring of the downlink channelfor the duration of time. The discontinuing monitoring may be inresponse to receiving the downlink control message. Thus, the UE 106 maynot receive notification of DL or UL grants (e.g., subsequent downlinkcontrol messages) from the base station, or other notifications on thedownlink channel, during the duration of time. Because the base stationsent the downlink control message, the base station is aware that the UE106 may discontinue monitoring of the downlink channel for the durationof time, and the base station may therefore forego sending any grants orother communications to the UE 106 over the downlink channel during theduration of time.

At 510, the UE 106 may enter a sleep state (or other power-saving state)for at least a portion of the duration of time, at least partially inresponse to receiving the downlink control message. In some scenarios,entering the sleep state may include powering down, or otherwisedeactivating, certain hardware elements, such as some or all of thewireless communication circuitry 330. In some scenarios, the details ofthe sleep state may be as defined by an industry standard, such as arelevant LTE standard.

In some scenarios, steps 508 and 510 may not be distinct steps. Forexample, the UE 106 may discontinue monitoring of the downlink channelby entering the sleep state for the duration of time. In otherscenarios, steps 508 and 510 may be distinct steps. For example, the UE106 may first discontinue monitoring of the downlink channel, accordingto step 508, e.g., while performing other actions, and then, at somelater time during the duration of time, may enter a sleep state for aportion (e.g., the remainder) of the duration of time, according to step510. In some scenarios, the UE 106 may skip step 510, and not enter thesleep state.

In some scenarios, the UE 106 may transmit one or more UL messagesduring the duration of time, despite the UE 106 having discontinuedmonitoring of the downlink channel for the duration of time. Forexample, the UE 106 may transmit at least one of a scheduling request(SR), a buffer status report (BSR), an UL ACK/NACK report, and/or a CQIreport. In some scenarios, transmission of such UL messages by the UE106 may be unaffected by the duration of time. E.g., the UE 106 maytransmit such UL messages during the duration of time, in the samemanner as if the downlink control message had not been received. Inother scenarios, the UE 106 may suspend transmission of UL messages forthe duration of time.

At 512, the UE 106 may resume monitoring the downlink channel. If the UE106 has entered the sleep state, according to step 510, then resumingmonitoring the downlink channel may include exiting the sleep state,e.g., by entering an active state, powering on or otherwise activatinghardware elements, etc.

In some scenarios, the UE 106 may resume monitoring the downlink channelat 512 in response to expiration of the duration of time. In somescenarios, the UE 106 may begin preparations to resume monitoring (e.g.,may begin powering on hardware elements) sufficiently prior toexpiration of the duration of time, so as to be ready to resumemonitoring the downlink channel promptly upon expiration of the durationof time.

In some scenarios, the UE 106 may resume monitoring the downlink channelat 512 in response to the UE 106 transmitting an UL message. Forexample, in some scenarios, transmission of an UL message by the UE 106may interrupt the duration of time. In such scenarios, the base stationmay terminate, invalidate, or otherwise interrupt a blanking periodcorresponding to the duration of time in response to receiving an ULmessage from the UE 106. Thus, despite the duration of time indicated bythe downlink control message, the base station may resume transmittingdata to the UE 106 prior to expiration of the duration of time, inresponse to receiving an UL message from the UE 106.

It should be understood that various operations of the methodillustrated in FIG. 5 may be performed concurrently, in a differentorder than shown, or omitted, and other operations may be added. Forexample, some embodiments of the method may exclude various combinationsof operations 504, 506, and/or 510.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may be realized in any of variousforms. For example, some embodiments may be realized as acomputer-implemented method, a computer-readable memory medium, or acomputer system. Other embodiments may be realized using one or morecustom-designed hardware devices such as ASICs. Still other embodimentsmay be realized using one or more programmable hardware elements such asFPGAs.

In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable memory mediummay be configured so that it stores program instructions and/or data,where the program instructions, if executed by a computer system, causethe computer system to perform a method, e.g., any of the methodembodiments described herein, or, any combination of the methodembodiments described herein, or, any subset of any of the methodembodiments described herein, or, any combination of such subsets.

In some embodiments, a device (e.g., a UE 106 or any one or more of theservers or systems illustrated in any of the figures) may be configuredto include one or more processors and a memory medium, where the memorymedium stores program instructions, where the one or more processors areconfigured to read and execute the program instructions from the memorymedium, where the program instructions are executable to implement amethod, e.g., any of the various method embodiments described herein(or, any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or, anysubset of any of the method embodiments described herein, or, anycombination of such subsets). The device may be realized in any ofvarious forms.

Although the embodiments above have been described in considerabledetail, numerous variations and modifications will become apparent tothose skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated.It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace allsuch variations and modifications.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A user equipment device (UE) in a wirelesscommunication network, the UE comprising: wireless communicationcircuitry configured to communicate with a base station; processorcircuitry configured to cause the UE to: receive, from the base station,via the wireless communication circuitry, on a downlink channel of afirst bandwidth part (BWP), a downlink control message indicating the UEwill discontinue monitoring the downlink channel for communicationsuntil an end of a duration of time, wherein the downlink control messageis received prior to a start of a first connected discontinuousreception (C-DRX) cycle, wherein the duration of time includes an onduration of the first C-DRX cycle, wherein the downlink control messageincludes an indication for the UE to monitor a downlink channel of asecond BWP after the end of the duration of time, the second BWP beingdifferent than the first BWP; and discontinue monitoring of the downlinkchannel until the end of the duration of time, wherein the discontinuingmonitoring is in response to receiving the downlink control message. 2.The UE of claim 1, wherein the downlink control message explicitlyindicates a number of subframes or a number of slots for which theduration of time will last.
 3. The UE of claim 1, wherein the downlinkcontrol message comprises an index identifying a value in apredetermined set of possible durations of time.
 4. The UE of claim 1,wherein the downlink control message includes a downlink or uplinkgrant.
 5. The UE of claim 1, wherein the duration of time begins in thetime slot in which the downlink control message is received.
 6. The basestation of claim 1, wherein the duration of time begins in the time slotimmediately following the time slot in which the downlink controlmessage is received.
 7. The UE of claim 1, wherein the downlink channelis a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) and wherein the downlinkcontrol message is comprised in Downlink Control Information (DCI). 8.The UE of claim 1, wherein the processor circuitry is further configuredto cause the UE to: enter a sleep state for at least a portion of theduration of time, in response to receiving the downlink control message.9. A base station in a wireless communication network, the base stationcomprising: wireless communication circuitry configured to communicatewith a user equipment device (UE); and processor circuitry configured tocause the base station to: transmit, to a user equipment device (UE),via the wireless communication circuitry, on a downlink channel of afirst bandwidth part (BWP), a downlink control message indicating aduration of time in which the base station will not expect the UE toperform uplink or downlink communications, wherein the downlink controlmessage is transmitted prior to a start of a first connecteddiscontinuous reception (C-DRX) cycle of the UE, wherein the duration oftime includes an on duration of the first C-DRX cycle, wherein thedownlink control message includes an indication for the UE to monitor adownlink channel of a second BWP after the duration of time, the secondBWP being different than the first BWP; and resume communications withthe UE on the second BWP after the duration of time, wherein nocommunication is performed with the UE on the first BWP during theduration of time.
 10. The base station of claim 9, wherein the downlinkcontrol message explicitly indicates a number of subframes or a numberof slots for which the duration of time will last.
 11. The base stationof claim 9, wherein the downlink control message comprises an indexidentifying a value in a predetermined set of possible durations oftime.
 12. The base station of claim 9, wherein the downlink controlmessage includes a downlink or uplink grant.
 13. The base station ofclaim 9, wherein the duration of time in which the base station will notexpect the UE to perform uplink or downlink communications begins in thetime slot in which the downlink control message is received.
 14. Thebase station of claim 9, wherein the duration of time in which the basestation will not expect the UE to perform uplink or downlinkcommunications begins in the time slot immediately following the timeslot in which the downlink control message is received.
 15. The basestation of claim 9, wherein the downlink channel is a Physical DownlinkControl Channel (PDCCH) and wherein the downlink control message iscomprised in Downlink Control Information (DCI).
 16. The base station ofclaim 9, wherein the processor circuitry is configured to cause the basestation to: enter a sleep state for at least a portion of the durationof time, in response to receiving the downlink control message.
 17. Amethod for controlling downlink monitoring, the method comprising: by auser equipment device (UE): receiving, from a base station, on adownlink channel of a first bandwidth part (BWP), a downlink controlmessage indicating the UE will discontinue monitoring the downlinkchannel for communications until an end of a duration of time, whereinthe downlink control message is received prior to a start of a firstconnected discontinuous reception (C-DRX) cycle, wherein the duration oftime includes an on duration of the first C-DRX cycle, wherein thedownlink control message includes an indication for the UE to monitor adownlink channel of a second BWP after the end of the duration of time,the second BWP being different than the first BWP; and discontinuingmonitoring of the downlink channel until the end of the duration oftime, wherein the discontinuing monitoring is in response to receivingthe downlink control message.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein thedownlink control message includes a downlink or uplink grant.
 19. Themethod of claim 17, wherein the downlink channel is a Physical DownlinkControl Channel (PDCCH) and wherein the downlink control message iscomprised in Downlink Control Information (DCI).
 20. The method of claim17, further comprising: by the UE: entering a sleep state for at least aportion of the duration of time, in response to receiving the downlinkcontrol message.